Raid-group converting apparatus and method

Abstract

A RAID-group converting apparatus converts two RAID groups into one RAID group. The RAID-group converting apparatus includes: a data-reading unit that reads at least non-parity data from data including the non-parity data and parity data, for each stripe from a plurality of recording media belonging to the two RAID groups; a parity-generating unit that generates two parities using the data belonging to a same stripe read by the data-reading unit; and a parity-writing unit that writes the two parities generated by the parity-generating unit into a parity storage area belonging to the same stripe.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A RAID-group converting apparatus that converts two redundant-array-of-inexpensive-disks (RAID) groups into one RAID group, the RAID-group converting apparatus comprising:
 a data-reading unit that reads at least non-parity data from data including the non-parity data and parity data, for each stripe from a plurality of recording media belonging to the two RAID groups; 
 a parity-generating unit that generates two parities using the data belonging to a same stripe read by the data-reading unit; and 
 a parity-writing unit that dispersively writes the two parities generated by the parity-generating unit into parity storage areas belonging to the same stripe, and 
 wherein the RAID-group converting apparatus converts two RAID groups without adding any disks. 
 
     
     
       2. The RAID-group converting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the two RAID groups are managed in a first RAID level in which same data are stored in each of a plurality of recording media or in a second RAID level in which each stripe includes one parity, and the one RAID group is managed in a third RAID level in which each stripe includes two parities, and 
 the RAID-group converting apparatus further comprises: 
 a temporary setting unit that temporarily sets one of a plurality of recording media belonging to a RAID group managed in the first RAID level to be a parity-dedicated recording medium that stores parities, if the two RAID groups include the RAID group managed in the first RAID level. 
 
     
     
       3. The RAID-group converting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the first RAID level is RAID1; 
 the second RAID level is RAID4 or RAID5; and 
 the third RAID level is RAID6. 
 
     
     
       4. The RAID-group converting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a disk capacity of each of the two RAID groups is larger than a total data amount of data and parities stored in the plurality of recording media belonging to the other one of the two RAID group. 
 
     
     
       5. The RAID-group converting apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 predetermined data are stored in the plurality of recording media belonging to one of the two RAID groups having the total data amount smaller than that of the other one of the RAID groups to match the total data amounts of the two RAID groups with each other, if the total data amounts of the two RAID groups are different from each other. 
 
     
     
       6. The RAID-group converting apparatus according to  claim 1  comprising:
 a temporary setting unit that temporarily sets one of a plurality of recording media belonging to a RAID group managed in a RAID1 level to be a parity-dedicated recording medium that stores parities, when the two RAID groups include the RAID group managed in a RAID1 level. 
 
     
     
       7. A RAID-group converting method of converting two RAID groups into one RAID group, the RAID-group converting method comprising:
 reading at least non-parity data from data including the non-parity data and parity data, for each stripe from a plurality of recording media belonging to the two RAID groups; 
 generating two parities using the read data belonging to a same stripe; and 
 dispersively writing the two parities generated into parity storage areas belonging to the same stripe, and 
 wherein the RAID-group converting method converts two RAID groups without adding any disks. 
 
     
     
       8. The RAID-group converting method according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the two RAID groups are managed in a first RAID level in which same data are stored in each of a plurality of recording media or in a second RAID level in which each stripe includes one parity, and the one RAID group is managed in a third RAID level in which each stripe includes two parities, and 
 the RAID-group converting method further comprises: 
 setting temporarily one of a plurality of recording media belonging to a RAID group managed in the first RAID level to be a parity-dedicated recording medium that stores parities, if the two RAID groups include the RAID group managed in the first RAID level. 
 
     
     
       9. The RAID-group converting method according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the first RAID level is RAID1; 
 the second RAID level is RAID4 or RAID5; and 
 the third RAID level is RAID6. 
 
     
     
       10. The RAID-group converting method according to  claim 7 , wherein
 a disk capacity of each of the two RAID groups is larger than a total data amount of data and parities stored in the plurality of recording media belonging to the other one of the two RAID group. 
 
     
     
       11. The RAID-group converting method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 predetermined data are stored in the plurality of recording media belonging to one of the two RAID groups having the total data amount smaller than that of the other one of the RAID groups to match the total data amounts of the two RAID groups with each other, if the total data amounts of the two RAID groups are different from each other. 
 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a RAID-group converting program for converting two RAID groups into one RAID group, the RAID-group converting program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:
 reading at least non-parity data from data including the non-parity data and parity data, for each stripe from a plurality of recording media belonging to the two RAID groups; 
 generating two parities using the read data belonging to a same stripe; and 
 dispersively writing the two parities generated into parity storage areas belonging to the same stripe, and 
 wherein the RAID-group converting program converts two RAID groups without adding any disks. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the two RAID groups are managed in a first RAID level in which same data are stored in each of a plurality of recording media or in a second RAID level in which each stripe includes one parity, and the one RAID group is managed in a third RAID level in which each stripe includes two parities, and 
 the process further comprises:
 setting temporarily one of a plurality of recording media belonging to a RAID group managed in the first RAID level to be a parity-dedicated recording medium that stores parities, if the two RAID groups include the RAID group managed in the first RAID level. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the first RAID level is RAID1; 
 the second RAID level is RAID4 or RAID5; and 
 the third RAID level is RAID6. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 12 , wherein
 a disk capacity of each of the two RAID groups is larger than a total data amount of data and parities stored in the plurality of recording media belonging to the other one of the two RAID group. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to  claim 15 , wherein
 predetermined data are stored in the plurality of recording media belonging to one of the two RAID groups having the total data amount smaller than that of the other one of the RAID groups to match the total data amounts of the two RAID groups with each other, if the total data amounts of the two RAID groups are different from each other.